Chennai, Jun 5 (IANS): Thirteen-year-old M. Nethra daughter of C. Mohan an owner of salon in Madurai has been appointed as a 'Goodwill Ambassador to the Poor' for United Nations Association for Development And Peace (UNADAP).

"We are really overwhelmed on hearing this news," Mohan told IANS. He owns a salon in the temple town Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

Announcing this UNADAP said Nethra will be given the opportunity to speak at the United Nations (UN) conferences in New York and in Geneva addressing Civil Society forums and conferences.

"This position would give her an opportunity and responsibility to speak to world leaders, academics, politicians and civilians, encouraging them to reach out to the poorest of the poor," UNADAP said.

The Dixon Scholarship has awarded Nethra a scholarship amount of Rs 1,00,000.

"We are simple people from a small family. This kind of honour we did not expect," Mohan said.

It was Nethra who was very much moved by the people's distress during the lockdown and urged him to help them.

Then Mohan dipped into his savings of Rs 5 lakh and donated essentials to about 600 families. This he did despite the fact that his salon was closed for two months as part of Covid-19 lockdown and he had no income during that period.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned about this in his recent 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme.

"I have lost count of the number of calls I have received. It could be over 250 calls," Mohan had told IANS.

During his Mann ki Baat programme, Modi said Mohan, who owns a salon in Madurai, had spent his entire savings to help people in distress during the Covid-19 lockdown.

"Shri Mohan ji runs a salon in Madurai. Through sheer hard work, he had saved Rs 5 lakh for his daughter's education. But he spent the entire amount in the service of the needy and the underprivileged in these difficult times," Modi had said on Sunday.

According to Mohan, he had saved the amount for his daughter Nethra's education. She is now in eighth standard.

According to him, the money could be saved later also but help for the people in distress had to be rendered immediately.

"Originally, we were from Ramanathapuram district. We came to Madurai twenty years ago and set up the shop," he said.

At a time when corporates are demanding the lenders to write off part of their loan/interest dues, Mohan's gesture is nothing but appreciable.